Bad Blood
by TheWriterofAwesomness
Summary: It all started out when I dyed my hair red. It continued when I bumped into this really interesting guy, yet the dye caused me to get beaten for the first and not last time. It continued when we kept sending letters to each other. It was ruined when we got to Hogwarts. This is the story of Artie Malfoy. Note: First two years of Hogwarts single chapters. Rated T for language.
1. The New Malfoy and the Dye

**AN: HI EVERYONE! This is Rawan, again, and it's time for another story! Some of you might know me as the author of 'The heir of the 4 founders' and I AM! But now, I'm writing THIS STORY! Saying it now – and ONLY now – I own NO ONE **_**except **_**Artemis, and I also own a load of other first names, but I **_**don't **_**own any of the last names; they all belong to the one and only JK Rowling.**

Chapter 1: The new Malfoy and the dye

I was the unwanted daughter of Draco Malfoy and Astoria Malfoy. I knew that since I was two years old, when Scorpius was born. I was never hugged, kissed goodnight, read bedtime stories, or anything. I had to learn how to go to the bathroom at a very early stage. I was only one and a half! I taught myself to read and write. The only thing my parents taught me was how to be a 'lady'. I was taught how to eat 'properly' and how to not slouch while walking. I was always told to not talk unless someone was talking to me.

Although, I had a rebellious streak. My parents liked to call it a 'phase', I liked to call it golden. I guess it all started when I was ten. This is my story:

I was in my marble white room, bored out of my mind. I was only ten years old but I had the brain and recklessness of a fifteen year old. That _does _include doing stuff I'm not allowed to do. I blew on my annoying platinum blond hair, the hair that made all Malfoys known; the hair that got me shunned by the Wizarding world. I just _wished _to change the colour to a more suitable one. A colour that would annoy my parents _immensely_, a colour like... _red_.

"POKEY!" I yelled suddenly for our house-elf... _one _of our house-elves.

A little green creature appeared with a _CRACK_ sound.

"Y-yes, Miss Artemis?" Pokey asked bowing down, to the point of her giant ears drooping to the ground and her nose squished on the floor.

"Pokey, it's Artemis, or Artie; I'm too young to be called Miss," I said lightly, "Anyway, can you _please please please _take me to Diagon Alley?"

Pokey nodded and asked, "If Pokey is aloud, Miss, she is asking why Miss Artemis would like to go to Diagon Alley?"

I always treated her well, and politely, so I gained a lot of respect from her these past ten years; yet she _still _had to call me _Miss_, and had to be _very _formal to me.

"Well..." I began, "I erm... want to dye my hair red, so I need to get the hair dye from there."

Pokey looked at me, alarmed, "Oh, Miss Artemis, yous _hair_! Yous beautiful _hair_! Is Miss Artemis _sure_?"

I grinned at her and nodded. "Come on, we'll go as soon as my parents are gone to work; little Scorpius is still sleeping."

Scorpius was two years younger than me, only eight years old at that time, yet still as pampered as a one year old. That means that he got to sleep until noon, while I had to _always _wake up at 6-8am. Always.

Pokey grabbed my arm and I felt that weird tugging sensation on my navel as I was pulled through a tube. I didn't dare open my eyes, because if I did, I _knew_ I would've puked. There was no question about that. I also felt that I was spinning at a thousand times a second. Abruptly, the spinning stopped and there was no more tugging. I landed roughly on the Diagon Alley ground.

"...Well, you _could _have told me that they weren't at home in the first place," I muttered, hanging onto the ground like it would keep me from falling off the planet.

"Pokey is very sorry, Miss, very sorry. Pokey should punish myself because Pokey did not say to Miss Artemis that Master and Mistress were in work," she said, bowing to me again. But I shrugged it off.

"Nah, Pokey, it's just something small; it's not the end of the world. And don't you _dare _punish yourself. And _how many times _do I have to tell you? I'm too _young _to be called Miss! I'm too young to be called by my full name! Call me Artie!" I exclaimed, flailing my arms around.

"Ah, yes, Pokey is sorry Mis- Artemis," Pokey stuttered, bowing again.

I sighed, but grinned all the same. That was as good as I'll ever get!

"Let's go get my hair dyed now. Where do we go?" I asked, looking around.

Pokey pointed out a shop labeled _Hattie's Hairstyle._ "There, M-Artemis!" She exclaimed, pulling me towards the place.

The shop inside was very nice. It had creamy walls, and a nice marble floor. There were a few couches lining one wall and a big shelf lining the one next to it. The couches were an aqua blue colour. There were also a couple of transparent, glass coffee tables in front of the couches. And on the wall opposite the couches, was a big mirror that covered the whole wall, and tables that lined the entire wall. There were four aqua coloured hairstyling chairs in front of the mirrors.

I went in and sighed with relief. There were no other customers here. I looked around once more. There was _no one _here.

"Er... Hello? Miss Hattie? I-I'm here to dye my hair... no one's here. Come on, Pokey, let's g-" I made for the door but Pokey tugged my back and pointed to a Young Woman who just appeared, and she appeared to be Miss Hattie.

"Why hello, dear," she said, smiling warmly, "aren't you a bit _young _to dye your hair?"

"Look, do you want my money or not?" I almost growled. I had a temper issue, okay? Don't judge me!

Miss Hattie raised her eyebrows, and raised her arms, "okay, okay! Sit down." She took out a book full of different people with different colour hair. "So, do you want a darker blonde? A brown? A black? If you want, I even have a-"

I pointed to a picture of a girl waving to the camera, and her hair was a mixture of reds. It wasn't a 'Weasley Red' as it was officially dubbed, it wasn't 'brick red' either. It was both really. It had all sorts of shades of red, and it looked _really _nice. "I want this one," I said firmly.

"A-are you sure? Don't you want a more _natural _colou-?" She was interrupted by me.

"I _really _want this one," I stated.

The woman sighed and nodded. She closed the book and put it on the shelf, where there were other catalogs of different hairstyles and other stuff.

Miss Hattie set me on the hairstyling chair and pointed her wand to my hair. I knew she was saying a non-verbal spell that made water sprout out of her wand and into my hair. I saw her wave her wand again, making my hair all soapy with shampoo. The shampoo started scrubbing itself into my hair becoming all fluffy and white. She waved her wand one last time and the soap vanished, instead leaving my platinum blond hair to be wet and stuck to my face. She pulled it back.

"You have really nice hair," she commented, taking out the bottles of dyes and mixing them into bowls.

"Th-thanks," I said uncertainly. I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to see what might happen to my hair.

Then she went to work. I felt her tugging on my hair several times, and then applying some wet pasty liquid which I assumed was the dye itself. She also seemed to wrap each lock of pasted-on hair in some foil-thing.

"Well," she began, wiping sweat with her sleeve which washing her hands (which were full of different shades of dyes) "muggles usually have to wait about two hours for the dye to dry. But as a witch, i can dry it off in a couple of seconds."

She waved her wand and my hair was dry instantly. The foil-like things were all gone. I touched my hair. It was red. It was different shades of red. It looked beautiful on me.

"Thank you," I muttered, "Thank you so much," I said louder.

Miss Hattie smiled at me and raised her wand again, "This is muggle dye. If you want it to be permanent (I nodded my head quickly at this) then I'll have to say _one _more spell." She muttered something incoherent to my hair and I felt a rush of air blow it back.

"There," she stated, "all done. That'll be fifteen galleons please." She held out her hand for the money and I dug into my pockets.

At least I had pocket money. My family is also very rich so my pocket money was five galleons a day. I was never short. I handed fifteen gold coins to her and muttered "thank you," one more time.

"So, Pokey, what do you think of my new hair?" I asked her, "and be honest."

"Pokey thinks it is lovely!" she exclaimed happily, "may Pokey stroke it?"

I nodded to her and let her small, smooth green hands stroke the newly coloured hair.

"Oh _no_," I muttered as a sudden realization hit me, "mother and father are going to _kill _me if they saw my hair!"

Pokey looked horrified, "No no no! Artemis cannot be killed! Pokey will make yous a wig of yous _old _hair, so Artemis cannot be killed and master and mistress do not find out!"

I suddenly hugged her tightly, "thank you, thank you, thank you!"

I was so happy, nothing could ruin my happiness. And for once, nothing did. In my happiness I bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," I muttered.

"No, _I'm _sorry; I should've looked where I was going. My parents are way ahead of me and I was eager to catch up!" The person I bumped into exclaimed.

He looked about my age, with tousled dark brown hair – which seemed to be a mixture of a black and a Weasley red. He had chocolate brown eyes. I've never spoken to him in my entire life, but he looked familiar. I've seen him somewhere...

"_No_, it's _my _fault. _I _was the one who wasn't looking where I was going," I told him.

"Let's make a deal. It's _both _of our faults. We _both _weren't looking where we were going, okay?" He checked.

"Fine," I sighed mockingly, dragging out the word.

He laughed. "I've seen you before, but I can't put my finger on it, so I have to ask this: What's your name?" I asked him.

"I'll tell you if you tell me," he said.

I shifted around uncomfortably. "I can't tell you that, you'll _hate _me!"

"I promise I won't hate you," he reassured me.

"No," I shook my head, "it's going to be because of my last name, I'm _sure _your Dad told you to stay away from me."

He shook his head too. "You seem decent. Tell you what, we'll tell each other our nicknames and we'll write each other. At Hogwarts, we'll find out who the other person is, okay?"

I nodded to him, smiling. "Sure. I'm Artie." I held up my hand to shake his.

"I'm Jay," he replied, shaking my hand, also smiling.

"When you write to me, tell your owl to send it to ANM, it'll know what I mean," I told him.

"Okay. When you tell _your _owl, tell it to send it to JSP, it'll know what I mean," he said.

I laughed. "Okay. See you Jay," I waved to him while I was being dragged by Pokey to an apparating spot.

"See you Artie!" Jay replied, walking away and waving.

Once he was out of earshot, I bent down to Pokey. "Pokey, do you know who he is? I _swear _I saw him somewhere before."

Pokey looked up at me and shrugged, "Pokey is sorry, but Pokey does not know who Mister Jay is."

I nodded to her. "Well, I'll find out later this year, won't I? I mean, school _is _starting this September..."

And so it was. That day was March 25, a couple of days before my birthday, when I turned Eleven.

I felt that familiar spinning, going-through-a-tube feeling as Pokey took my hand and apparated on the spot, leaving me no time to prepare. I kept my eyes firmly open and found a swirl of different colours rush against my eyes. The different colours almost made me sick, but I held it down and managed to shut my eyes tightly. The spinning suddenly stopped and I fell to the ground.

"...again, Pokey, warn me first. _Please_," I pleaded, standing up, "now, let's get me a wig before mother and father get here!"

"...Too late," two familiar, unwanted, simultaneous voices were heard, making me involuntarily shiver.

My mother practically shrieked. "YOUR _HAIR! _YOUR WONDERFUL PLATINUM BLOND _HAIR! _WHAT DID YOU DO TO IT?!"

"I... er... _may or may not _have dyed it to a more suitable colour," I muttered, looking at the ground.

"_SUITABLE?!_" She shrieked, "YOU _RUINED _YOUR HAIR! EVERYONE'S GOING TO THINK WE'VE RAISED A CRAZY DAUGHTER NOW!"

My father growled, "Do you _know _what this'll _do _to our reputation? You practically made us the laughing stock of the _century_!"

I flinched at his tone, and cringed when he raised his wand at me. Both of them raised their wands at me, ready to strike. I shut my eyes tightly and tried to use my arms as a sort of defense, but it didn't work. The first thing my mother did was cast the full-body bind charm on me, causing me to fall backwards.

They started throwing hexes at me, starting with a cutting curse, which slashed against my skin on my cheek, on my upper left arm, and on my ankle. It took most of my will power to not scream in pain. Then my mother screamed out a torture curse, which was slightly lighter than the Cruciatus curse, and still legal. "Equuleo," was a _horrible _curse that should _never _be used in your daily conversation.

"PLEASE!" I pleaded, "STOP! P-P-PLEASE!"

They did stop suddenly. My eyes were still shut tightly and I didn't dare open them. I felt a knife cut through my skin, much more painful than the cutting curse. I bit my lip firmly to stop myself from screaming, making it bleed. I felt a liquid drip down my clothes, and I knew it was blood. I suddenly felt the full-body bind lift and I gained feeling of my arms and legs again.

My father spat on the ground. "You deserved that. Next time,_ try_ to not ruin our reputation. Or it _will _end up badly," he growled, "POKEY! Get Artemis a wig that'll hide her _hideous _hair. NOW!"

I quickly stood up and ran from the room, not stopping until I reached my bedroom, which had a large four poster bed and a desk in one corner. I had a huge wardrobe with clothes I never wanted and a small stash of clothes that I got Pokey to duplicate, let me rip up and wear when my parents weren't around. There was also a pearl-white bathroom connected with my bedroom, making it completely mine and mine _only_.

I ran into the bathroom and looked at myself in the full length mirror. My hair was all messy, ugly scars covered her, _blood _covered her, her lip was all bloodied and swelling from all the biting she did. I sighed and took a quick shower to clean off all the blood. After blow-drying my hair and dressing, I looked to myself once again. I didn't care that my parents hated my hair; they could hate it all they want! It looked beautiful, in my opinion. It looked a lot better than my old Platinum blond hair.

I heard a soft knock on the door and I knew it was Pokey. I let her in.

"I'm sorry, Pokey," I all but whispered to her, "I shouldn't have done this. I knew it was wrong and that I'd upset them but- I just... I just wanted to be different from those Slytherin rebellious streak... who am I kidding, it's not golden! I-I'm sorry." Even though I didn't cry a single tear when they were beating me, exactly seven tears fell out of my eyes.

Pokey hugged me tightly. "It's not yous fault! It is Pokey's fault! Pokey is bad, Artemis. Pokey is sorry."

I shook my head vigorously, "no! No! It's not your fault, you were just following orders. Speaking of which, where's the wig? Can you give it to me now?"

Pokey nodded and took out an exact replica of my old hair... seriously; it was creepy how it looked _exactly _like my old hair. I took it nonetheless, and carefully placed it on my head and fixed it up, making look as if it _was _my original hair. I looked like the ordinary Malfoy I didn't want to be. I sighed glumly, tugging at my realistic looking fake hair, hoping it would just go away without consequences.

"Argh," I moaned, "why won't they all go away? Why can't I just be – oh, I dunno – muggle-born?! They'd keep away from me for _good._"

Pokey sobbed on my knee, hiccupping every few seconds, "P-pokey i-i-is s-s-sorry!"

"No, no, no!" I exclaimed, "It's _not _your fault!" I took a deep breath, "can you... er— cast a glamour charm on my scars? I don't really—er, like them..."

Pokey gave a shaky giggle, "Mi- Artemis, the glamour charm is in the wig, miss! You is looking like before!"

"Thanks, Pokey," I grinned at her and hugged her.

...And THAT was my first beating. I somehow knew it wouldn't be the last.


	2. Letters

**AN: HELLO AGAIN! This is my second chapter to 'Bad Blood' and I hope you enjoyed the last chapter!**

Chapter 2: Letters

_Dear Artie,_

_Remember me? Back in Diagon Alley, I was the guy who bumped into you (which I am REALLY sorry for), and you wouldn't tell me your name? Yeah, that's me, Jay. Well, my name _isn't _really Jay; but since you wouldn't tell me your name I figured I wouldn't tell you mine! It _is _fair, don't you think? Anyway, we told each other we'd write, and well... here I am, writing! I hope this message got to you, because I wouldn't like it if I wasted parchment on this random person I don't know..._

_Assuming this is you, Artie, I just wanted to say hi, I guess. Since I'm _really _bored and my Mum grounded me off Quidditch for a week for pranking my little cousin and I have nothing to do. Do you play Quidditch? What position? I play keeper! I don't know _where _I got it from, since my Dad's a seeker, and my Mum's a chaser... but I think I got it from one of my uncles, _he's _a chaser... Man, all this Quidditch talk – er, write – is making me want Quidditch _moooreeee... _And my owl's here to deliver the letter, so please write back._

_Your friend, (well, I think so...)_

_Jay._

* * *

_Dear 'Jay',_

_I don't know who you are and where you come from and _how _in the world you managed to train your owl like that, but I am not 'Artie.' _

_JUST KIDDING! This IS Artie, really. And I'm hurt, Jay, really hurt that you only talked to me because you were cut off from Quidditch. Nah, just kidding, I know the pain of not being able to play Quidditch from personal experience (DON'T ask! It involves a ministry party, Dung bomb liquid, a cat, Mimbulous Mimbletonia sap and punch). I play seeker, the awesomest position EVER!_

_And before I forget, YOU DID NOT BUMP INTO ME, I BUMPED INTO YOU! IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT! And I feel really sorry for you that you got grounded off Quidditch; but if it helps at all, I did too! I got grounded off Quidditch (ah, Quidditch, the sport made from heaven...*drools*) because I snuck out of the house and got my hair dyed. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT! Anyway, I have to go now, dinner's done, and my mother would ground me for another two years if I didn't come down in a minute. So... FAREWELL! AND WRITE SOON!_

_Your friend, (yes, you are my friend...)_

_Artie_

_PS: WHEN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY? MINE'S TOMORROW, I TURN ELEVEN *happy dance*  
PPS: What's your NAME?! I have a good reason for not telling you..._

* * *

_Artie,_

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY! CONGRATS ON LIVING ANOTHER YEAR! And I'm really glad I'm not the only one Quidditch deprived; which brings to this: BEING KEEPER IS THE AWESOMEST POSITION EVER, NOT BEING SEEKER! But I guess beauty something to the eye of the beholder. I don't know it by heart, but I've heard my Dad say it TONS of times to my uncle, because my uncle was always asking my Dad "how he fell in love with my troll of a sister."_

_Ah, well. Anyway, I _seriously _agree with you when you say that Quidditch is a sport made from Heaven! And for the record: I BUMPED INTO YOU, YOU DIDN'T BUMP INTO ME! Seriously, why do you _want _to take the blame for something _I _did? And I don't think _anything's _worth not Quidditch... well, unless... nah, not even that. Your birthday gift is in the parcel._

_Your friend, (man, I'm so glad I can't classify you as 'stranger')_

_Jay_

_PS: My birthday is February 12__th__. You better get me a present next year, Artie._

_PPS: I'M NOT TELLING YOU MY NAME UNTIL YOU TELL ME YOURS!_

* * *

_Jay,_

_I'm so sorry it's been two months since I last updated! I was just too busy with stuff that my parents forced me into. I really AM sorry..._

_AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BIRTHDAY GIFT! IT WAS THE BEST SNITCH EVER! But seriously, you've only known me for a couple of days and you get me a SNITCH? You're awesome. And the line is: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; which means I can rightfully think that SEEKING is better than KEEPING in Quidditch! HAHAHA!_

_AND I BUMPED INTO YOU – NOT THE OTHER WAY 'ROUND! Get it RIGHT! MERLIN! You are the stubbornest, thickest person alive! Why can't I just get _through _to you? Why can't you just _accept _my apology? Sorry for such a short letter, but I have to go now, my mother's taking me shopping for some reason or another [:'(] _

_Please reply soon,_

_Artie._

_PS: I'M GETTING YOU THE BEST PRESENT EVER NEXT YEAR!  
PPS: YOU'LL HATE ME IF I TELL YOU MY NAME!_

* * *

_Artie,_

_I hate you. Well, not really, but I strongly dislike you right now. YOU REPLY ON MAY? MAY. I SEND YOU A BIRTHDAY GIFT AND YOU SEND ME A REPLY TWO MONTHS LATER?!_

'Jay' crumpled up the letter he was beginning to write. He took out a new piece of parchment.

_Artie,_

_I'm very angry at you right now. You ignore my letter for two months? How _could _you *dramatic sigh*? Anyway, I'm glad that you _FINALLY _replied to my letter that I've been waiting anxiously for a reply back that you finally gave me. Wait, that didn't make sense. Let me try again: I'm glad that you FINALLY replied to the letter, the letter I have been anxiously waiting for_. _Better? Worth a shot anyway. And I'm glad you liked my gift._

_BEING KEEPER IS BETTER THAN BEING SEEKER! AND I DON'T CARE WHAT MY DAD SAYS – SEEKING SUCKS! Well, no offense, of course._

_Wait—_I _am being stubborn? _REALLY? _I am NOT stubborn! If I was, you're stubborn-er. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAY stubborn-er! AND I'm not THICK! REALLY!_

_You'd better reply this time,_

_Jay._

_PS: YOU'RE STUBBORN-ER!_

* * *

_Jay,_

_Nu uh,_

_Artie._

* * *

_Artie,_

_Uh huh,_

_Jay._

* * *

_Jay,_

_Nu uh,_

_Artie._

* * *

_Artie,_

_Uh huh,_

_Jay._

* * *

_Jay,_

_Nu uh,_

_Artie._

* * *

_Artie,_

_Uh huh,_

_Jay._

* * *

_Jay,_

_Nu uh,_

_Artie._

* * *

_Artie,_

_Nu uh,_

_Jay._

* * *

_Jay,_

_Uh huh,_

_Artie._

* * *

_Artie,_

_THERE! I MADE YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE STUBBORN-ER! MWAHAHA! I AM THE ULTIMATE CONVINCER ON THE PLANET!_

_Jay._

* * *

_Jay,_

_YOU ARE NOT!_

_Artie._

* * *

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL__  
__of WITCHCRAFT _and _WIZARDRY__Headmistress:__Minerva McGonagall__  
__(Order of Merlin, First Class)__  
_

_Dear Miss Malfoy,__We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at__Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry__. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.__  
__Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.__Yours sincerely,_

_Finius Flitwick__  
__Deputy Headmaster__._

* * *

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL__  
__of WITCHCRAFT _and _WIZARDRY__Headmistress:__Minerva McGonagall__  
__(Order of Merlin, First Class)__  
_

_Dear Mr. Potter, __We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at__Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry__. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.__  
__Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.__Yours sincerely,_

_Finius Flitwick__  
__Deputy Headmaster__._

* * *

_Jay,_

_I GOT MY HOGWARTS LETTER! I'M SOO HAPPY RIGHT NOW! Maybe I can find more friends else than you in my house. Speaking of houses, what house do you want to be in? I really wanna be in Gryffindor, but I know my parents will disapprove because they _aren't _in any way, shape or form, Gryffindors. Aaaaanyway, even if we're in different houses, we'll stay friends, right?_

_You know what's weird? When we went to Diagon Alley today I found a photo of someone who looked _just like you_ on a magazine. But I never got to read it, so I _still _don't know who you are! Aw..._

_I also have another question. You know how we've known each other for exactly 63 days (not that I'm counting...)? Does that make it enough days for us to become best mates? I know it's pretty awkward for me to phrase it like that, but honestly, which other way do I have? Hmm..._

_Your (hopefully) best friend,_

_Artie._

* * *

_Artie,_

_First of all, I'm _really _sorry that I haven't replied for a month, but I've been extremely busy with things to do with family and it annoys me immensely, so I'd prefer it if I don't need to talk about it._

_I GOT MY HOGWARTS LETTER TOO! Maybe we can _both _find friends in our houses. And I really wanna be a Gryffindor too. It's the house of the brave. Here's how _I _think about it: Gryffindor, house of the brave, best house; Ravenclaw, house of the smart asses; Hufflepuff, house of the people who are left over, they have no meaning; Slytherin, house of the evil. Well, no offense to you, if _you _were a Hufflepuff, of course... I don't think you'd end up in Slytherin though. And even _if _we were in separate houses, we'd still be best mates. No worries._

_About the magazine you saw... I'm quite glad you didn't see it properly, because it _was _probably me... Hmm... If you saw it, you'd _have _to tell me your name, because then it just wouldn't be fair!_

_And about your last question, of _course _we're best mates! I thought you naturally assumed it! I can't believe you ACTUALLY thought we weren't! Honestly, you're my first _real _friend. All others were either cousins, or family friends. But they don't count because I grew up with them. I am (sadly) famous for something my parents did, and it's quite annoying to have pictures of you on tabloids because I'm finally going to Hogwarts or something._

_If I may, I have a question too. How many brothers/sisters do you have? I have one brother and one sister; they're both younger than me. One of them is two years younger than me, and the sister is two years younger than my brother. So I get to be the annoying older brother, who's overprotective on the inside but just won't show it! Ahaha... That sounds fun..._

_Your best friend,_

_Jay._

_PS: TELL ME YOUR NAME. I DEMAND IT._

* * *

_Jay,_

_I won't be as mad as you were for not answering for A BLOODY MONTH because I haven't answered once for two months. And now I'm answering a week after which I'm sorry for, because the 'daughter of a death eater is going to Hogwarts!'_

I scribbled off the part from 'because' to 'Hogwarts'. I didn't need Jay to find out I'm from a horrible family.

_Anyway, I'm glad you don't think I'm Slytherin material. My parents seem to think I am, because they're constantly saying "we'll be happy if you're a Slytherin or a Ravenclaw." And I bet your parents would say "we'll be happy if you're a Gryffindor or a Ravenclaw." But NO ONE except Hufflepuff wants their kids to be in Hufflepuff! Poor Hufflepuff! I have half a mind right now to ask the Sorting hat to put me in Hufflepuff. But yellow is a horrible colour. It's so... happy! Why not blue? Or red? Or _even _green?! Yellow is way too sunny. I'd like Red, or blue. NOT green though, green's a bad colour to mix with._

_Was I seriously just talking about colours being nice? I think I'm going mad with worry. Wow. I really _was _just talking about _colours_ of all the things in the world. Eh... Anyway, I'm really glad that you told me I'm your first real friend because you're my first _human _friend. My family friends are the most horrible bunch you'll _ever _meet! _

_Why the odd question? Well, it's not _really _odd per say, just... not what I'd expect, I guess. A brother and a sister, both younger, huh? Two years by two years... hmm... you're giving me clues to who you are... Anyhow, I have one younger brother who'll be about the same age as your brother, so maybe they could be best friends and we could be best friends. And then our families might not hate us!_

_Just a suggestion..._

_Artie._

_PS: NEVER! I WILL NEVER TELL YOU MY NAME! MWAHAHAH!  
PPS: MERLIN! I KNOW WHO YOU ARE NOW, JAMES POTTER!_

* * *

_Artie,_

_You know my name, yet you won't tell me yours. That's so unfair. You have to tell me. Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Pretty please with a cherry and sprinkles and extra whipped cream and chocolate chips and walnuts on top? PLEAAASE?_

_If you don't, you'll just have to tell me in a month and a week. And I also think we should send each other's letters every week, not every day. I think so because we're both always busy with something, AND I think my bird has grown muscles from all that exercise. It needs to relax a bit._

_Maybe you ARE going mad with worry, thinking about being in Hufflepuff, and using colours as excuses why you shouldn't be a Hufflepuff or a Slytherin..._

_Yes, it WOULD be cool if our brothers were best mates. But I don't understand why our parents might hate your family. I just re-read the letter, and I think I now understand why you might think our parents would hate you. Daughter of a death-eater, huh? I can just imagine how hard it must be for you, bloody worse than having your Dad save the Wizarding World and your Mum lead a school rebellion against the Death Eaters._

_Eh, see you soon (hopefully),_

_James._

* * *

_Jay,_

_It's been a month. A month of having to hide from annoying paparazzi because I'm the damn death-eater's daughter. A month since I got your last message. And in a week's time, we're going to be at Hogwarts. I don't think I can bring myself to tell you who I really am. I _know_ you'll hate me forever, and I don't wanna lose my friendship with you. I'm sorry._

_Mind off of everything I just said... er—wrote... I'm really nervous/excited/scared about going to Hogwarts. I'm sure I'll be pranked and teased, and hexed and made fun of because I'm who I am. I really don't wanna be what my family is. Gah..._

_I really AM going mad with worry, huh? Not Slytherin though, never Slytherin. I'm never going to forgive myself if I was a Slytherin. That would suck._

_You actually read what I scribbled out? And you don't hate me yet? I still think you'd hate me if I told you my name. I'd tell you my first name but at the sorting you might figure it out..._

_Hoping you'd still be my friend,_

_Artie._

_PS: Malfoy._

_PPS: I hate walnuts._

* * *

_Artie,_

_I'm sorry you can't risk the fact I might hate you because of a family name. Even though it's near impossible._

_And if you tell me your name, I can make people scared and won't prank/hex/make fun of you. Really. No? It was worth a shot._

_And don't you think I'd recognize your hair? I didn't see your face quite clearly, but I remember your hair like it was just this morning that I saw it. You can't hide forever, Artie._

_Of course you're still my best friend, Artie. Don't you ever forget that. Ever._

_See you tomorrow,_

_James._

_PS: What?_

_PPS: Instead of walnuts, how about shredded chocolate?_

**AN: AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! Nine pages of letters back and forth. Like it? Hate it? Tell me! Please? THANKS!**


	3. First Year

**AN: Hi again! I hope you liked my last chapter because I was testing the whole 'writing letters' thing, and when I read it, it was pretty good. So er—on with the story!**

Chapter 3: First year

I glared at the brick wall in front of me. The brick wall between platforms nine and ten was very intimidating, believe it or not. What? My parents left me stranded at this station, only saying, "You have to walk through the brick wall. Go to Slytherin or Ravenclaw and we'll be happy. Stay out of trouble." Fat load of help, they gave me. Stupid parents. Stupid wall. Stupid family. Stupid Hogwarts.

I saw a familiar face walking towards said stupid wall. It was Jay – er... James and his family. The Potters. They were the family I was warned about. Psh. If they think I was gonna _listen _to them, they got it all wrong.

I innocently waited until the family got there.

"Er—do you... er... know how to..." I gestured to the platform, "I-I mean, my father just dropped me off and left for work. H-he never has time for me..."

Mrs. Potter looked at me sympathetically while Mr. Potter looked as though he was thinking about old memories.

"Well, all you have to do is go through that brick wall," she told me, smiling.

I gaped at her. "G-go through... the—the _what_?" My eyebrows shot up disbelievingly.

She just smiled again. "Well, James can go first; it's his first year too."

I quickly looked at the ground as James strode into place, a smirk written across his body language. He swiftly ran into the wall, and I _had _to look up at him as he—he _went through the wall! _Was that possible? Was my father really not that evil? Did he _really _tell me 'You have to walk through the brick wall' because he kind of _cared _about me? Nah. That last one was farfetched. Heh, Hogwarts brings excitement to the point of me thinking crazy things, eh?

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, pushing myself into practical _suicide_. As I ran, I waited for the deafening _CRASH _that would crack my skull and eventually kill me. That never came. Instead, i opened my eyes to see a brilliant red Train. Above me there was a sign that said 'Platform nine and three quarters.' It was dust covered and no one has ever bothered to clean it – even after who-knows-how-long years this train station has been. Evil people. They purposely _wanted _us to be sick, didn't they? DIDN'T THEY? Sweet Merlin, I was going MAD!

I quickly ran to an empty compartment and dragged my trunk – which was surprisingly not very heavy – into the room. I closed the door, and shut the windows. I sighed. I managed to escape the horror that was the people of the world. What? STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT! They can be mean! You have no idea how many _times _I have been hexed because I was in _Diagon-freaking-Alley _with my family!

After making sure that no one was going to come into the compartment, I took off my wig, revealing beautiful red hair and faded white scars. I lay on the side of the couch, sighing.

"I really can't get any friends, can I?" I asked myself, "I mean, I _can't_, because I'm a bloody _Malfoy! _It sucks, being the big sister to a pampered child – who still loved me, which is cool. Now I'm talking to myself. I think I'm crazy! Well, in all truth, I think I _might've _been crazy from before. I mean, I _am _a Malfoy; and I heard insanity runs in the family. Hm... I'm still talking to myself, aren't I?"

I hit myself over the head.

"No more talking to your-self," I scolded myself, and then I groaned in frustration, "I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

I sat in silence for a couple of minutes when I couldn't bear to be silent anymore.

"And what about Ja- James? He's my only friend – if you can even _call _him a friend; he's more of a pen-pal. He deserved to know who I was! He deserved to know that freaking Artemis _Malfoy _was indeed, Artie. And I wore a wig to hide my hair and scars. Well, I might not tell him about the scars, because that would be practical suicide! GAH!"

* * *

Holycrapholycrapholycrapholy crap. The train was stopping. I quickly stood up and basically ran towards the door of the train _just _as it was opening.

"FIRS' YEARS! FIRS' YEARS! OVER 'ERE!" Came a booming voice belonging to a giant of a man – well, a _half _giant.

I walked over to the man and followed him as he led me and the other first years to boats.

"No more n' four to a boat," he told us, climbing into one himself.

I made my way into a boat with two guys whose faces were too dark to see. I made my way into the corner of the boat, although I held onto it quite firmly. The boys in the boat were apparently laughing about something unknown to me, as I wasn't listening because I was finally seeing Hogwarts castle. Calling it beautiful would be like calling Voldemort 'not very polite'. My thoughts were cut short as I made contact with the lake. I realized with a jolt that the boys were laughing at the prank they were about to pull on me. Well, two can play it that game.

"I can't swim!" I exclaimed, faking myself drowning and roughly pushing myself up, making it believable that I was actually drowning.

The two boys had a look of horror on their faces as they all sided to one side of the boat and began pulling me in. I – ever the devious one – pulled them in with me. I smirked at them.

"You deserved that," I told them when they spluttered for a few moments before gaining balance and floating.

"Point taken," they both muttered red-faced.

Now, you might think that we became friends, but they later found out who I was, so...

You get the point.

"Good," I replied, climbing onto the boat and pulling them up with me.

Now, you might think that we became best friends after that, but when I saw them and they saw me, hell happened.

"Oh holy shit, you're James Sirius Potter and you're Fred something Weasley," I muttered under my breath, "my parents will literally _kill _me if they find out about this..."

As I was freaking out, James – I mean Potter – seemed to realize something.

"Hey, your hair's platinum blond," he said, "You must be a Malfoy! Am I right or am I right?"

I glared at him as hard as I could, surprised that he still wasn't shrinking back from under my glare. Fred – Weasley I mean – had shrunk down so small; he was the size of Pokey herself.

He nudged Potter. "This is _Malfoy_," he began, muttering to him, "now, I dunno what _your _dad told you about them, but _my _dad told me to hex her as much as I can!"

I shrank back slightly, put out for some reason. I shouldn't be sad; the kids were _supposed _to hate me (the father of Fred Weasley being another story...)! We were _supposed _to hate each other for seven years and torment each other, then after that, we never see each other again! Simple! Yet I was still sad that I was rejected for the first time. And without even _half _thinking about it – and at that time, I should've _known _I wouldn't be a Ravenclaw... – I jumped back into the lake. My heavy clothes were sagging me down, my forced-to-be-worn necklaces tightened around my neck, but I didn't care. It was extremely difficult for me, but I somehow survived swimming through the giant black lake and to Hogwarts.

I just sat at the edge of the lake until the other boats came in. I looked bitterly to the ground, with my wig sagging down, my oversized clothes slipping off slightly, and my jewelry thrown into the bottom of the dark lake.

"Oh hello," I said indifferently as the giant man stood up and looked down to me from where I was sitting. It was like I was trying to look up at the sky, honestly.

"Yer lucky this is teh firs' day o' school, missy, 'r else I'd give yeh detention!" he said warningly. I nodded to him, still not really caring.

I stood up and dusted off the mud off of my clothes. I quickly followed the rest of the first years into the awaiting great hall.

"The firs' years, Professor Fli'wick," the giant man said from wherever he took us too.

A tiny old wizard with weird hair – but I'm in no position to say that, am I? – stood on a tall chair in front of all of us.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he announced in a happy, squeaky voice, "In this school, we sort the first years into one of four houses, and they each have their own history. They are Gryffindor, for the brave, Ravenclaw, for the intellectual, Hufflepuff, for the hard working, and Slytherin, for the cunning. (I coughed, "and the evil." This gained me a glare.) The students in your house will be somewhat like your family. And breaking rules will lose you points; while doing good work will gain you points. I trust you wouldn't break rules soon.

"Now, I suggest that you clean yourselves up while we are ready for you," he finished, glancing at me pointedly.

I looked back at him and stared until he finally looked away and got off his chair to do whatever it was he wanted to do.

Once he wasn't there anymore, I found someone poking my back.

"What?" I asked in annoyance, looking at the person.

He jumped back in slight surprise. "Sorry. Er—I just wanted to say that the stunt you pulled back at the boats was really-"

"Oi! Leave 'er alone! She's a Malfoy! Trouble with a capital T!" Began Fred Weasley, who was in the boat with me (as I said before), "You heard what they did in the second war; right _cowards_, they are."

"Well, nobody asked _you, _Weasley," I said back to him. Yes, I finally recognized him. Fred Weasley the second, son of the greatest man alive (for his pranking store), George Weasley, "so it's none of your business."

"Don't mess with my friend like that!" the boy in front of me said, "I was gonna tell you how _stupid _you were to jump into the lake! And he's my best friend and cousin, so don't. Mess. With. Him."

I shrugged. "I can do whatever I like. You're not any special treatment, are you?"

This is when the boy smirked. And with that smirked, I gather that he was in fact, my best friend.

I was in deep shit.

"Actually..." he began dramatically, "I'm James Potter."

To tell him I'm Artie, or to _not _tell him I'm Artie? That is the question! I say I should tell him.

"Well I'm-" I began, but was interrupted by Flitwick (sigh), who said, "We're all ready now."

I sighed again. "Until next time," I told him in annoyance.

Everyone in the whole school would see us. Everyone in the whole school will see me get sorted into Slytherin. Everyone to see me humiliated. I was gonna face my eternal _doom_!

The list began, but I was worrying was too much about my eternal doom to listen to any of the names until I was heard.

"Malfoy, Artemis."

"_Malfoy?_ Did he say Malfoy?"

"Like the evil family that followed Voldy in the war?"

"She shouldn't be here!"

I fidgeted with my hands the whole way and ignored all the annoying whispers as I went until I sat down on the stool and the sorting hat talked. Well, it talked, but not to _me._

"I refuse to sort this person, she is wearing a wig!" he exclaimed to Flitwick.

I looked at it defiantly.

"And why not? What if some poor little first year wore a toupee? Would you not sort the poor guy?" I asked it glaringly.

"And now _what _sort of _eleven year old boy _would need a _toupee_?" he questioned back, thinking he won the argument.

"_Accio_ first year's toupee!" I exclaimed, pointing my wand at the crowd behind me. And _awesomely _enough, James Potter's prank toupee came _zooming _right out of his pocket and _straight _into my hands.

"There," I yelled victoriously, throwing it in the air.

"Well..." The sorting hat began dramatically, "GRYFFINDOR!" I looked at it, "What? She's a reckless, stupidly brave Gryffindor who acts before she thinks! I promise you she's going to do something stupid to me during this minute!"

The silence was deafening. I dropped the toupee and just stared at the hat that ruined my life.

"Why you..." I muttered, then I attacked it and began strangling it, "YOU! DO YOU REALIZE THAT WHAT YOU JUST DID WILL GET MY PARENTS TO LITERALLY KILL ME? PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL, PUT ME IN RAVENCLAW, MY PARENTS WON'T KILL ME FOR THAT! PLEASE! IF YOU WANT ME TO COME BACK FROM THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS! PLEAASE!"

Headmistress McGonagall was yelling as people were laughing at my reaction. I was suddenly being dragged by a Gryffindor seventh year with turquoise hair and a Gryffindor fifth year with glowing blond-ish red hair.

"Hello," I told them as calm as a person possibly could be.

"Do you know you're related to me?" the boy with turquoise hair asked me in amusement.

"Then you must be Theodore Lupin," I stated.

"Call me Teddy. Theodore's my... I don't even _know _who he is," he muttered, shaking his head, "_no one _in my family was called 'Theodore!'"

I grinned at him and took my hand out, "I'm Artemis Malfoy, call me Artie, but not in front of, or near, Potter."

"I'm Victoire Weasley, call me Vic 'cause Victoire's too French," she grinned at me.

A first year, a fifth year and a seventh year, friends. It was like a two seniors making friends with a freshman! Absolutely impossible! Then again, a _Malfoy _in _Gryffindor_? This is gonna be a _great _seven years...

"Potter, James." That was heard by my ears as the first year picked up his toupee from the floor, gaining my attention.

A second later, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"What do you know? Here's another reckless, stupidly brave Gryffindor who acts before he thinks," I muttered, "He's also my best friend and enemy. Great, huh?"

"What?" Vic asked in amusement, "How're you his best friend _and _enemy? Is it even _possible_? Teddy? Are you listening?"

Teddy looked away from cheering for James and at us. "Huh? Oh no, what were you saying, Artie?"

"Has your god-brother ever said anything about a girl he bumped into Diagon Alley with different shades of red hair; and that he talked to her all through summer?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"Well yeah, but I don't see how that's- oh. OH! _You're _Artie from-" he began, but Vic threw a hand over his mouth.

"Teddy. I _really _don't want him to know, because we got into a huge fight before the sorting and I still wanna be his friend!" I exclaimed, "Anyway, I think he's my enemy now and I'm still his pen pal. What the hell should I _do?_"

I bumped my head on the table.

* * *

"Look at her."

"She's the girl who strangled the sorting hat!"

"She's a Malfoy!"

"She's evil! A complete Slytherin!"

I was followed with these comments all the way down the Great Hall. I was really grateful that Victoire decided to wait for me so I didn't get lost on the way.

"Oi! This _complete Slytherin _may not know much, but she has a pretty painfully _rough _wand! You wouldn't want _her _wand to go through both of your eyes, right?" I called back to them, causing them to shut up.

I sat at the Gryffindor table next to Victoire, who looked at me awkwardly.

"Well, er, I have to, er—well, you see-" she began awkwardly but I saw the situation from the start.

I shrugged. "I can live. You go have breakfast with your friends. It's okay." She nodded gratefully to me and ran off to sit next to her fifth year friends and Teddy.

They would get married. I just hope they would invite me to the wedding...

I banged my head on the table yet again. "I'm doomed," I moaned once she was out of earshot.

"Hey Malfoy, is there a problem?" I heard a cocky voice above me.

"Shut up, Potter, I'd watch the food you eat," I mumbled back, not looking up at him.

He and his little lackey Weasley decided to _sit next to me_. It was hard keeping up an act to show we hated each other but I thought I did pretty well.

Soon enough, the owls came. A red one came snooping in, onto my bacon.

"Oh shit," I muttered, "hey Potter, I know you hate me, but if you have a solution to this I would do absolutely anything and everything for you."

He grinned at me. "Not that I won't enjoy tormenting you by saying I had it but I wouldn't give it to you, but I don't have a solution."

I gritted my teeth, closed my eyes, and opened the nightmare about to come.

"ARTEMIS NARCISSA MALFOY! HOW DARE YOU BECOME A GRYFFINDOR! HOW _DARE _YOU TAKE A TOUPEE FROM THE BLOOD-TRAITOR POTTER-" I winced at that, "-HOW COULD YOU! WE _TOLD YOU_, SLYTHERIN OR RAVENCLAW! YOU WILL ASK MCGONAGALL TO CHANGE YOU, WHATEVER IT TAKES! YOU WILL BECOME A PROUD SLYTHERIN OR RAVENCLAW, NOT A _GRYFFINDOR_! DO YOU KNOW HOW BAD THIS IS TO OUR REPUTATION?!" Yep, this was my _dear _father, "YOU'RE IN THE MUDBLOODS AND BLOOD-TRAITOR HOUSE! HOW COULD YOU! YOU'LL TURN OUT JUST LIKE THEM!"

Then the thing exploded.

"Hey—who wants to go send a howler with me?" I asked cheerfully, and surprisingly enough, a few people _actually _stood up to send a howler to my parents.

Wow.

As I stood up to leave, a familiar owl – mine – came up to me. Awesome time, don'tcha think?

I quickly grabbed my owl from mid-air, took the letter, gave her my bacon (that's smoked because of the howler so I never finished it), and set her off. I looked at the address of the letter and saw: _ANM_.

That was Jay. I sent him a letter. I got his reply. This was about the time where I picked up my bag and darted away blindly to the charms classroom – twenty minutes early.

To James, I wrote:

_Jay,_

_I'm at Hogwarts, finally. I would like you to happily know that I accidentally made enemies with you. Oh joy. I hope you still don't hate me._

_Listen—I have a bit of courage left in me (I MADE GRYFFINDOR- WOOHOO!) to say that someday, I _promise _that I will tell you who I am. Someday. Till then, we'll have to stay friends through parchment, I guess. Heh..._

_Anyway, I know you're now wondering how I made enemies with you. I'm wondering that too. I would also advise you to not eat any eggs for breakfast today because I'm turning everyone who did have an egg bald for the day, even girls. I never liked eggs so it's okay._

_Just wanted to say that now, reply soon._

_Your best friend,_

_Artie._

I ripped open the letter while I was alone in class and read:

_Artie,_

_Tell meeeee. Tell me who you are. I made a few enemies for 'being cocky' and pranking people on the train yesterday, and I can't figure out which one you are. _But _I've ruled out all the guys, if that makes you feel any better._

_Eh... I'm in Gryffindor too! And I hope you made friends with someone at least, because the way you sound, it looks like everyone hates you now... But that's impossible! You're too likeable!_

_Thanks for the egg thing. I don't want my hair to look like that. Poor Fred though, he ate it and didn't believe me._

_TELL MEE! I COMMAND YOU!_

_Your best friend (WHO WILL SEE YOU SOON!)_

_James._

_PS: TELL MEEEE!_

I shook my head at his antics. Never will I _ever _tell you, James Potter.

* * *

"Victoire, go out with the guy," I told the older girl, "what's it gonna harm?"

"What's it gonna _harm_?" she asked frantically, "how am I supposed to tell _Teddy Lupin_, my _best friend _might I add, that I fancy him?"

"Ask him out to your wedding," I suggested, gaining myself a smack to the head, "ow! Okay fine, _that _won't work, glad we agreed on that... maybe I could do you a prank thing! I could just go right now and go order from George..."

"Order from _George_?" she interrupted disbelievingly, "you're in first name terms with _my uncle_?"

I shrugged, "I'm a daily customer! He's awesome! I've actually been given some things to test run!" I paused for a second, "what do you want your firework-shooting banner to say to Teddy? 'Will you marry me?' Or maybe, 'Will you have kids with m-? OW! That is _not _very nice, Victoire Weasley! You do _not _slap the person who's gonna get you a husband!"

She rolled her eyes at me, "you don't know he's gonna be my _husband_."

"Can I be bridesmaid? OW! VIC, THAT REALLY HURTS!" I tackled her to the ground, and we rolled around in laughter.

Finally, I stood up. "I'm going with 'I fancy you. ~Victoire.' Okay? Great! See ya Vicky!" I quickly ran before she could attack me, making me bump into Teddy himself.

"Hi Teddy!" I exclaimed, hugging him.

"Art!" he exclaimed back, "I just wanted to talk to you about-" he dropped his voice down, "Victoire."

I looked at him.

"Look, recently I've noticed that she's been... changing. And I like those changes. And... And I think that I like her. How do I ask her out?"

I nearly laughed. It literally took all my willpower to not double over in laughter and fall to the ground, laughing my face off.

"Teddy," I began, putting my hand on his shoulder, "ask her to be your wife. I could go to WWW and get you a 'Will you Marry Me?' banner if you like!"

He shook his head quickly, "what the hell are you talking about?" he asked quickly.

"Mate, she likes you. She just told me. I was on my way to WWW to get her an 'I fancy you' banner for you," I told him, "if you need anything... I'll be going now!"

"Man, you're _so _much more help than any of my _other _friends!" he exclaimed to my retreating back, "Hey, how're you going to WWW?"

I ignored him and ran to the One Eyed Witch's hump. It's great to have a friend who still has the marauder's map and is lending it to me.

"Dissendium," I muttered, going into the hole.

Quickly, I made my way through the Honeydukes cellar and wasted no time to stare at the new and improved Honeydukes' best chocolate. Now that took pride, determination, and dedication, which I didn't have. Soon enough though, I was on my way and literally _bumped _into George.

"George!" I yelled to him.

"Artie!" he yelled back, "James still doesn't know you?"

"You told your son to _hex _me?" I retorted.

He chuckled. "I didn't want my son to seem like a sissy compared to you, now do I?" he said, "what can I do for you today?"

"I'd like a new box of skiving snackboxes, a pack of rose smelling dungbombs for your niece, and a firework shooting banner that says 'I fancy you. ~Victoire.' For your niece too!" I exclaimed happily.

As I stated my needs, he brought them one by one. "And who does Vicky fancy, may I ask?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I grinned at him. "Teddy! And he just asked me about her too!" I squeaked excitedly, "I bet you they name me godmother! And I wanna be bridesmaid; maybe I can convince her out of her purple and into more of a... darkish red..." I trailed off, "anyway, I have to get back before Flitwick has my head for sneaking out again. Bye!"

"Bye! Hex my son, why don'tcha!" he called back smiling.

That was exactly the time when Fred Weasley the second had entered the place.

"Gee thanks, Dad!" He exclaimed, "Now, who's supposed to be hexing me?"

"NO ONE!" I yelled in a squeaky voice, ducking down, "Not _me,_ anyway!"

I quickly zoomed out of the place in Hogsmeade and up the Honeydukes' cellar again. I snuck away all up to the Seventh floor and into the Gryffindor tower, only muttering, "Moonstone," to the fat lady to enter.

The scene I saw before me was one that excited me. I saw Teddy and Vic _snogging_. I effortlessly exploded the rose dungbombs but they never seemed to notice.

"OI!" I finally yelled, catching their attention, "you guys owe me twelve galleons! I worked _hard _to get this banner!"

Both of them blushed darkly. I opened the banner up and sparks shot out of it. There, in big fancy Victoire-like writing, was written:

_I fancy you._

_~Victoire._

I was an awesome friend. I knew that when I threw the banner at Teddy and set his hair on fire.

"OW! OW!" He screamed, "HELP ME!"

I snort into my hands and quickly run into the dorms.

"I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!" he yelled after me.

"I am!" I called back.

* * *

It was the Christmas holidays, and I was getting ready for my doom.

"Victoire," I told her, "I want my coffin to be a bright red with gold sequins. And since I'm not married, can I be wrapped up like a mummy, but in a gold color?"

Vic snorted and patted my head. "Sure."

I hugged her one last time before turning to Teddy.

"If I don't make it out alive, tell your god brother who I am," I told him, "if I _do _make it out alive, don't you _dare _tell him or I'll tell Victoire you're planning to propose to her right after she graduates and gets a job!"

He threw a hand over my mouth. "Okay, okay, I won't tell him! Gees Art, _relax_."

I sighed. He had _no idea _in how much trouble I was in with them. I hugged him one last time.

"I _might _see you next year! Happy Christmas!" I yelled as I got off the train.

I walked into my own nightmare again.

"Hello mother, father," I stated stiffly. They looked at me suspiciously.

"Did you just hug a blood traitor?" father asked, looking down to see me.

I shook my head slightly. "I was merely hugging a relative of mine."

"Oh, _good_. Well, unless it's Theodore Lupin..." mother trailed off.

I winced slightly, making them _very _angry. I looked at the little eight-year-old behind them pleadingly.

"_Please _Scorpius," I pleaded to him, "Stop them."

"L-let's go home mother, father," he looked at them in a way only a pureblood would look at his parents. Yet I knew that Scorpius was pure, would _stay _pure, and would end up in Ravenclaw because the little bugger was smarter than me.

Oh well.

Father gripped my hand while mother held Scorp's hand and we apparated home.

"Scorpius, honey, why don't you go upstairs and play with your toys?" mother asked him gently, prodding him slightly towards the spiral staircase.

"Oh, but I wanna stay here, with Artemis," he whined, holding my arm.

"Scorpius Malfoy, go upstairs," father demanded in a voice which suggests that consequences will be held soon.

Scorp took the message and practically flew up the staircase.

"Hi," I began coolly, "how's life going for you?"

"How's life _going for me_?" father asked, "Well, it was all well and everything, but when I get a letter when my _daughter _got _Gryffindor_, _imagine _my surprise!"

I realized mother had put me under the full-body bind charm.

"IMAGINE what it felt like to find out your _daughter _was _strangling _the _sorting hat_!" he screeched, "our reputation! Our reputation went down to the ground! Having a blood traitor, Gryffindor, _insane _daughter with something to do next! Then we get letters for _pranks _and _stunts _you pulled!"

He ripped my wig off and slashed my already scarred arm. He slashed, kicked, punched, pounded, stamped, beat, crushed, and basically, _pulverized _me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, _that _is my father.

God, that hurt.

* * *

I came back to the train flinching at almost every move I make.

"Hey Potter," I muttered to him. I pushed past him and ran to Teddy, "Hey Teddy!"

"I see you're still alive," he commented looking at me.

"I'll show you in the compartment," I muttered quietly to him, walking away, leaving him and the rest of his family looking questionably at me.

"Who's that, Teddy?"

"Oh, just family."

"Just fam- that's the first Malfoy kid, isn't it?"

"Yes actually. And dear James her-" I didn't hear the rest of the conversation as I slammed the compartment door when I noticed only Victoire was in it.

"Hey Victoire!" I exclaimed.

"I see you're still alive," she commented looking at me.

"Hey, that's the _exact _same thing _Teddy _said to me," I began babbling, "then I told him how part of me is _not _alive in the compartment, and now I'm thinking how you two really _are _meant for each other and for the record you never gave me my twelve galleons not that I need them because my family – man I hate calling them that – is filthy rich and for appearances I'm supposed to get twenty galleons every two days because if I get less people will get suspicious."

I said all of this in one breath. Just as I finished, Teddy came in and closed the door.

"Now show me how you're dead," he said, smirking slightly.

I took off my wig, showing all my scars with not a single little bit of hesitation. They both gaped at her.

"You—scars," they muttered, "who _did _this to you?"

"...This is what I meant by me dying," I muttered blushingly, throwing the wig back on and making the scars disappear.

"We have to tell uncle Harry-"

"-Yeah, he'll know what to do-"

"-He can arrest your father-"

"No," I quickly said, "I mean—what about Scorpius, my brother? He loves them, he'll be heartbroken if they get arrested, and he'll hate _me_! Then he'll go over to the Dark Arts to get them back and he'll become the new Voldemort!"

"...You've really thought it out, haven't you?" Vic asked disappointedly.

"Yes, yes I did," I said cheerfully, "Now, who wants to prank some Slytherins with me?"

"Pass," they muttered, sitting down and getting closer to each other.

"I'll leave you two lovebirds to snog," I said, stepping backwards, "BYE!"

I blindly ran into the corridor and hit four sixth years, one from each house.

"Hello..." the Slytherin said menacingly, "oh look guys! It's the outcast!"

"No actually, I believe my name is Artemis Malfoy," I disagreed, knowing I was in danger, "Anything you want, boys?"

"Yes actually," the Hufflepuff said, "do you know you're a very pretty lady?"

"Did you know that I'm a ninja?" I asked the taller guy dramatically.

"Wait, what?" The Gryffindor asked. Clearly, he wasn't very smart, "Can't we just hex her already?"

The Ravenclaw face-palmed. "No, we need to torment her with words first, remember?"

I raised an eyebrow, "you know I'm still here, right?"

"Yes, we bloody know you're here, Malfoy," snapped the Slytherin, "and we're going to hex you now because the verbal thing _really _isn't working."

"Expelliarmus," I said, getting their wands to come to me.

They all turned to the Ravenclaw cluelessly.

"Attack!" He yelled. Seeing their confused faces, he sighed and added, "Like muggles!"

So they attacked me, leaving me in a bloody mess – literally. I stumbled into the nearest compartment, which I assumed to be Teddy and Vicky's.

"Hey guys," I muttered, not looking at them, because I knew they'd be snogging, "I got beat up by some sixth years a while ago-" I took off my wig and ruffled my hair. I heard the sound of someone dropping something heavy. "-Hi Weasley, Potter."

"...A-A-Artie?" James stuttered.

"Er..." I stammered back, "I'm not Artie, whoever that is. Who's Artie? I don't know her; I'm just a lost first year on her way to getting away from you! Bye!"

And like the little chicken I am, I ran from my biggest fear – James finding out.

"Victoire! Teddy!" I yelled, "James Potter found me and I forgot my wig there!"

They both looked up quickly, Teddy wiping his mouth from lip-gloss.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. What? I was eleven!

"Er..." I stammered, "James Potter has my wig... my scars, everyone will see them!"

Vic gasped. "These bruises are new! Where did you get these?"

"Well..." I stalled, "how did you know I didn't have them before?"

"You only had scars."

"How did you know I'm not wearing a... necklace that hides the bruises?"

"That takes a lot of magic and is simply ridiculous."

"Well... how did you know that-?"

"Artie, shut up. Who did it?"

"You're so very nice, Teddy," I muttered sarcastically, "some sixth years did this..."

The train suddenly stopped moving, making me fall flat on my face.

"God damn it," I muttered, standing up, "let's go!"

I skipped to the carriages and sat on the invisible horse that I knew existed. It was pretty cool really; it was like I was riding nothing yet something at the same time.

"I'M RIDING NOTHING!" I yelled happily, "OI POTTER! GIMME MY WIG BACK!"

"I WILL WHEN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHO YOU ARE!" he yelled back.

"ARTEMIS MALFOY! NOW GIVE IT!" I shouted.

"DETENTION TO BOTH OF YOU!" Yelled a passing professor.

"Sluggy, you suck!" I shouted back.

"Make that another detention, Malfoy!" he bellowed joyously, as if liking that I'll be spending detention with him. I just shrugged and lay my head on the head of the invisible horse, which I gathered was a thestral.

* * *

"Were you the one who told Slughorn he sucked?" George one day asked me. I grinned at him and bowed.

"Yes, yes I am," I said, "Can you tell your nephew to give me my wig back?"

"James!" George called from behind, "What did you do?"

"Nothing, Uncle George," he said innocently, _still _carrying my wig, "why do you-? Oh that."

"Give me my wig back, James Potter," I demanded.

"Explain to me who Artie is, Artemis Malfoy," he mimicked.

George glanced at me, "my nephew really is stupid, isn't he?" I nodded to him.

"I'm not revealing Artie's secret," I ground out.

"Well, I'm not giving it to you until you tell me who Artie is," He stated.

I sighed and glanced at George. I had to do it. I walked right up to James and kissed him. I deepened the kiss so much until I was able to reach the wig, so I snatched it from him. My lips were tingling like mad and I felt something weird fluttering in my stomach but I ignored it. George wolf-whistled and patted my back.

"Good job, Arts," he exclaimed.

I wiped my lips and said, "Thanks. And goodbye."

It took me a while to realize that James kissed back. And that I liked the kiss. And that I was in deep shit. Man, I was way too young for this crap.

* * *

"I'm gonna fail this year," I complained, hitting my head on the library table.

Vic and Teddy snorted, "Are you kidding me?"

I looked at them, "what? Are _you _the person who broke the record for first year who got the most detentions in a year award?"

They snorted again, "No, that's _you_. Anyway, I have my OWLs and Teddy has his NEWTs. Do you know what the NE stands for? Nastily Exhausting!" Vic exclaimed.

"But if I get anything less than an O in everything, father will have my head!" I yelled, only to be shushed by an extremely old librarian.

Teddy set me down, "then why don't you actually study and leave us alone?"

"...Finee..." I muttered, "I'm going to prank some Slytherin fifth years, thanks for the idea, Teddy!"

"Oh Teddy, _what _have you done?" Whined Victoire.

* * *

"I'M ALIVE!" I shouted, "FEAR ME PUNY NOT-O STUDENTS FOR I AM A STRAIGHT O STUDENT!"

"Miss Malfoy, if you don't get off that table you will not be a straight O student," Flitwick said warningly as I jumped down.

"No need to get your wand in a knot, Professor," I muttered.

* * *

"Hello mother, father, Scorpy," I said dramatically, "I got all O's!"

"At least now you can't ruin our reputation any further," Father said coldly.

"Oh yes I can," I stated defiantly, "I jumped around on the table and yelled 'fear me puny non-O students for I _am _a straight O student."

Scorp face-palmed and muttered, "you're an idiot." To me, while mother said: "we'll talk about this at home."

Guess what I did? I got three new _beautiful _scars!

Yay me.

**AN: There ya have it! Her first year, first kiss, first friends, second and third beating, and the rest! Now: PLEASE REVIEW BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME GOING!**


	4. Second Year

**AN: Note for Willholmer: This isn't gonna be another clichéd story, because I hate them too. And James doesn't have a crush on her yet. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing.**

Chapter 4: Second Year

"TEDDY!" I yelled, hugging the blue-haired figure, "Have you found Vic yet? I know you're here to see her off, but I thought I might see off my only decent _relative_."

Teddy laughed, "Art!" he exclaimed happily, and then blushed at my remark, "Yeah she's coming soon... she told me she'll be here at about quarter to."

I grinned at him then wiggled my eyebrows suggestively, "When are you proposing?"

He suddenly grabbed my face and pulled me into a headlock, giving me a noogie – you know, when you grab someone's head and mess up their hair and make it all static?

"AH! TEDDY STOP DOING THAT!" I whined, loud enough for the red headed family near us to hear.

"Teddy," reprimanded a voice, "What're you doing to this poor girl?"

"Poor girl?" he snorted, "she is far from being po-"

"OI TEDDY!" I yelled, slipping out of his reach and quickly straightening my hair, "I _am _poor! Poorly guided, what with you being a _total_- oh, hi, Mr. Potter."

Mr. Potter looked at me amused, "Hello, er... Teddy, you give the girl a noogie and don't tell us who she is, I'm very disappointed in you."

"Er... I think your kid mentioned me, though," I put in helpfully while James snorted.

"I'm older than you!" He exclaimed. "I'm exactly one month and thirteen days older than you!"

I looked at him cleverly, "exactly! Thirteen – the unlucky number! Precisely the reason why _I _am older than _you_!"

I then turned away from the laughter of the family and found myself a compartment.

"THAT MADE NO SENSE! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" James shouted at my back, "Can she do that? No she can't! She can't do that, can she, Teddy?"

I heard a chuckle from Teddy, "Well, she's Artemis Malfoy, she can do _anything_!"

I burst out laughing at the image of Potter's pouting figure when I heard something that made my heart stop.

"That girl," Mr. Potter began, "She'll be the next Mrs. Potter."

"Now all we need is the red hair," commented Ginny, making Teddy laugh loudly again.

"Her hair is a wig," began Teddy, "she _does _have red hair!"

I paced impatiently around the empty compartment, bored.

"I need something to _do_," I whined, "Maybe I can use some of Jay's birthday gift and explode it in his face! ...I'll do it!"

I ran to the trolley and the trolley lady.

"Hello Miss Trolley lady," I greeted her, "may I know your name because I _know _it's not 'Miss Trolley Lady.'"

She laughed, "My name? My name is Matilda!"

My eyes lit up, "Oh cool! So, Miss Matilda, can you help me with something?"

When she smiled and nodded, I gave her a pack of every flavored beans, a chocolate frog and a chocolate cauldron.

"The next compartment you go to will be James Potter's," I told her, "He's gonna ask for three chocolate frogs, a packet of every flavored beans, and two chocolate cauldrons. Don't ask how I know that. I need you to give him what I gave you and whatever's in the trolley that you need extra. Got that?"

She nodded once, making me smile at her. "Now, I want a chocolate frog and a packet of every flavored beans please."

"Three galleons and a knut," she told me, taking out some separate food for me and giving it. I dug in my pockets and gave her four galleons.

"Keep the change," I said, "Take it as a 'thank you' for helping me out with this."

She smiled at me once more and went to the next compartment while I crouched down behind the trolley.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" She asked kindly, opening the compartment door.

The two boys inside jumped up.

"I'll have three chocolate frogs, a packet of every flavor beans, and two chocolate cauldrons, please," James asked for.

I saw Miss Matilda give him my pranked snacks and ask Weasley what he wanted.

"I'd like a pumpkin pasty and a pack of every flavor beans, please. Oh, and some Drooble's," he added quickly, digging into his pockets and taking out the exact amount.

I quickly hid behind the closed compartment door when Miss Matilda went to the next compartment.

"These beans taste funny," I heard James, "...ugh, is this... _human _flavor?"

I peaked in to see his disgusted face, and Weasley's laughing face. "Mate, I can call you a cannibal now!"

"...This is smoke flavor!" exclaimed James, "...and this is... _dung _flavor? This is disgusting!"

"I think the beans are trying to tell you something..."laughed Weasley. They did indeed.

"What are you _saying_?" James asked, "These are disgusting, I'm not eating anymore."

"Then just eat the rest of your snacks," Weasley said in a 'duh' voice.

I assumed that James nodded because soon enough, he spat out his food.

"This chocolate tastes like dung!" he yelled angrily.

"You said it, not me," Weasley replied snorting. "Maybe the prankster of this meant something about you..."

"What can he- WHAT THE HELL? A DUNGBOMB, SERIOUSLY?!" Shrieked James in a weirdly girly voice, "WHO DID THIS?!"

I threw a paper airplane with a note on it.

"'Hello, thanks for the birthday present, Artie,'" James read aloud, "Artie, you are awesome."

I threw another note to him.

"'Thanks, Artie,'" Weasley read this time, "This girl is a piece of _work_! Do you know who she is?"

This time James sighed, "I _wish _I did!"

BWAHAHAHA! NO ONE – except for Teddy and Vicky... – KNEW WHO I WAS!

* * *

"I'm so bored," I whined to Victoire, "I don't have a Sorting Hat to strangle this year!"

Vic snorted, "If you weren't so _agit__ée__, _you wouldn't be so bored!"

"I'm not _restless_, just bored!" I exclaimed, flailing my arms around.

"Miss Malfoy, please refrain from thrashing your arms around," Professor Longbottom, my head of house said sternly.

"Yes Professor," I said carelessly, standing up and bowing to him exaggeratedly.

"Detention, Malfoy," he said, without even looking up.

"But Profe_ssor_!" I moaned, "It's in the beginning of the year! It's too early for detention!"

"Do you want to make those two detentions, Malfoy?" Longbottom asked me sharply, effectively shutting me up and making me sit down.

"I don't have any more pranking material, so I'll have to pass by George, maybe owl order..." I muttered to myself, "maybe I can get some Honeydukes' products in one go..."

"Artemis Narcissa Malfoy," Vic began sternly, "you will not go tomorrow to Hogsmeade, nor will you go in the first three weeks."

"But _Vicky_," I whined, using her annoying nickname, making her smack me.

"Don't _call _me that," she hissed.

* * *

"I am a _prefect_; I should not be sneaking out to the _forbidden forest at _2 am!" Hissed Victoire, looking around for anyone to catch us.

"But Vicky," I began smartly, "we _need _to get in there because my homework depends on it! It's due tomorrow!"

"You could've _just _gotten permission from Sinistra to go to the Astronomy tower!" she exclaimed quietly, "And why did you leave it till the _last minute_?"

"Technically," I corrected, "I have another twenty two hours before it's due, so it's the last few hours!"

We heard some ruffling in the bushes and heard the voices of Weasley and James – er, Potter.

"Why are we here again at _2am_?!"

"Because I need to so my Astronomy homework!"

"You know, you could've just gotten permission from Sinistra to go to the Astronomy tower... and it's pretty stupid to leave your homework 'till the last minute!"

"It's not the last minute—I have twenty two hours!"

"Hey Art," Vic muttered, "does that remind you of anything?"

"Yeah!" I exclaimed, "It reminds me of how you guys are _seriously _related!"

"We should really get back," moaned Victoire, "why are we in the forbidden forest anyways?"

I blushed darkly, "well... it might not be for my Astronomy homework..."

Vic went on full alert, "Spill."

"Er—well—I _might've _heard from some fifth years that there's gonna be a Centaur brawl here..." I said, tripping on a rather large tree stump. As I flew back, I went straight into Ja- Potter.

"You here for the Centaur brawl too?" he asked me.

I nodded to him, "Yeah, and apparently you used the same excu- Oh look! It's starting!"

I pointed to a small place, mostly fenced by trees, yet leaving a small space for both Potter and I to see.

"Five galleons the centaur with the weird markings on it wins," I offered him, taking out some money from my jeans.

"Him? No _chance_! I think the centaur with the tattoo will win!" He exclaimed, taking out his own money.

We shook hands and watched at Centaur by centaur fell to the ground, unconscious. Soon, it was only the two centaurs we bet on.

The first move was Potter's centaur, his tail lashing out at my centaur's face. My centaur seemed to see it coming, as he kicked Potter's centaur with his front legs, making him fall backwards. Can we call the centaurs A and J? Anyway, they circled around each other when J lashed out again, kicking A straight in the tail, making him double over in pain. Next came A's move when he literally _jumped _on the Centaur's back and used him as a horse. J, actually _being _part horse, acted like one until he was lead into a nearby pond, making him fall into the water.

"Gimme the money," I stated, snatching out my rightful galleons.

We argued the whole way, with Vic and Weasley lagging behind us.

* * *

"POTTER!" yelled a pink-haired me in my pajamas, running into the boy's Dorm.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" He asked sleepily, his head fuzzy to the top.

"Potter, _why _did you dye my hair _pink_?" I asked him, trying to keep calm.

...But he wasn't listening. Him and the rest of the Boy's dorm found my pajamas interesting. I didn't get why, because I was wearing some shorts and a tank top. I looked behind me.

"What're you all looking at?" I asked, paranoid there was something weird on my body, "Is there something on my face or something?"

The boys shook themselves up and Ja- Potter said, "You have pink hair, Malfoy!"

I looked at him smartly, "This isn't my hair, that's my wig," I stated matter-of-factly.

Potter groaned. "What the hell is under that _wig_?" He asked me, "Why're you hiding a load of red hair?"

I looked at him, for once being speechless. Why did I wear this thing? My parents made me. My parents aren't here, so there's no reason to wear it. But they will get sent a letter, and I will get beaten on Christmas. But why would they get sent a letter? That would make no sense.

Man, this guy left me to ponder as to _why _I wore the wig the whole _week_!

* * *

"My name is Artemis Malfoy, I'm a second year, and I'd like to try out for seeker position on the Gryffindor Quidditch team," I stated confidently, my _Lightning Bolt 1001 _firmly in my hand.

"My name is James Potter, I'm a second year and I'd like to try out for Keeper position on the Gryffindor Quidditch team," I heard Ja- Potter state, in a similar position.

I waited in the stands as the keepers were chosen. I was secretly happy for James that he was keeper, and I remembered most of our letters before Hogwarts were about me liking the seeker position better than the keeper position, where he disagreed and said the opposite.

"SEEKERS ON THE FIELD!" Yelled an attractive Chaser, Sean Wood, who was a fifth year.

I made my way through the crowd of seekers waiting to be tested. My eyes narrowed when I saw the huge amount of seekers, and that they were mostly girls from third year to sixth year. Wood seemed to realize this too because he blew a whistle and yelled, "We'll begin with the seekers taking five laps around the pitch."

I knew he was doing this because he knew that these girls wanted to get on the team because they wanted the Captain and chaser, Wood. He also knew that the girls thought the seeker's job was the 'easy' job, and they thought they didn't do much. And also, by making run around the pitch five times, it shows how determined and strong the person was, and if they really wanted the seeker position. Well, let's just say I finished first.

"Ready for the rest of the try out, Wood," I said, not even the slightest bit breathless.

Only three other people lasted during the warm up.

"Well, that takes out the unlikely ones," I heard him mutter, "And a second year too!"

I grinned at him. "What now?" I heard one of the other potential seekers ask tiredly.

"Now, I'll set off the snitch and the first one to catch it, gets the part," He announced to the seekers.

I grinned, mounted my broom and watched when Wood let go of the snitch. Five seconds later, he yelled, "GO!" And that was when we all kicked off. I flew up above the pitch and squinted my eyes, looking for a sign of gold. I also noticed that I was the only one who was smart enough to not circle the pitch from the bottom... amateurs.

After about ten minutes of circling the pitch, I noticed a flash of gold in the stands, near the chasers. I dove towards it and snatched it out of a fifth year's gaze. I then zoomed to Wood and landed gracefully.

"Why'd you stop?" He asked me curiously.

I shrugged, "I don't see a need for it."

He was then confused, "And why is that?"

I tossed him the snitch carelessly, "because I already _have _the snitch."

So in the end, the team was: Sean Wood, fifth year chaser; Emma Chase, fourth year chaser; Jade Wood, fourth year chaser; Emily Hall, third year beater; Lucy Weasley, fourth year beater; James Potter, second year keeper; and me, second year seeker.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do it?" Vic asked me in a whisper.

"I'm sure," I whispered back. It was the first time I did this, and I was pretty nervous.

Oi, get your minds out of the gutter! It's just that... I've never chopped my hair right off! Well, I wasn't going to chop it _all _off, but I was going to make it a bob. It was going to reach my chin and barely get tied up. I also convinced Victoire to cut my wig too. I _didn't _have a death wish from my parents, believe it or not, but I thought it was time for a change –y'know? Haven't _you _ever experienced that?

I closed my eyes tightly as I felt her grab my hair. The cold metal of the scissors were felt on my neck as she sliced off twelve and a half years' worth of hair. She grinned at me and waved the hair in my eyesight.

"You know," she muttered, "this hair is _very _good. It looks almost exactly like mine! Maybe if I made it into extensions and dyed it another colour, I can use it!"

I rolled my eyes at her, "Can you just fix my hair now?"

She laid the hair on a counter with hairstyling products on it, and I saw her pick up the scissors again. Soon enough I heard her announce: "TADA! You now have a bob for hair, and you can barely tie it back!"

She ruffled my hair, making it really messy. "Hey!" I complained, "Now I look like Potter... only with red hair! Well, platinum hair with the wig..."

"WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN TO THE FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON WITH GRYFFINDOR ON ONE SIDE, AND SLIMY SLYTHERINS ON THE OTHER!" Jared Jordan – a sixth year Gryffindor, yelled into the megaphone.

"Jordan, please commentate in an unbiased way," warned Longbottom.

"Sorry professor—AND THE SLYTHERINS ARE HERE WITH FLINT, PUCEY, MONTAGUE, NOTT, PARKINSON, GOYLE AND SMITH!" Bellowed Jordan, "AND ON THE OTHER, BETTER SIDE: GRYFFINDOR! THERE'S POTTER, WOOD, CHASE – she's very hot, dunno why she keeps turning me dow- okay fine Professor! Just don't take the megaphone away from me! ANYWAY, CHASE, HALL, WEASLEY (Lucy Weasley, nothing like her father apparently), WOOD, AND... MALFOY – she's lookin' good so far! No evil or anythi- Aw Professor! You take the fun out of everything!

"AAAND THEY'RE OFF! WOOD IN POSSESSION OF THE QUAFFLE! SHE PASSES TO HALL, WHO PASSES TO CHASE... AND—SCORE! TEN-NIL TO GRYFFINDOR!" He announced in glee, "FLINT THROWS THE QUAFFLE TO PUCEY, WHO PASSES TO NOTT WHO ZOOMS ACROSS THE PITCH WITH HIS NIMBUS 2300, AND TRIES TO SCORE— YET WOOD, SAVES IT!

"A BLUDGER IS HIT BY GOYLE AND IS HEADING _STRAIGHT _FOR CHASE'S NOSE! WILL ANY OF THE BEATERS MAKE IT? AND THEY DO! WEASLEY HITS THE BLUDGER STRAIGHT FOR PARKINSON – THE DUMB B- that was the last time Prof! I promise! THE QUAFFLE IS BEING LED BY HALL, AND—WHAT'S THIS? MONTAGUE SNATCHES PARKINSON'S BEATER BAT AND HITS IT STRAIGHT FOR HALL'S ELBOW! FOUL! FOUL! MADAM HAWK! FOUL! HA! TAKE THAT- YOU CHEATING B- Sorry professor!"

"Hey Hall! Are you alright?" I heard Lucy yell to him in concern, "I'm sorry neither of us could make it in time, we didn't notice it because the other bludger was heading straight for Wood!"

"It's okay!" He reassured her, "it didn't even touch me!"

As they were in conversation, Chase and Wood somehow manage to score fifty more points.

"AND GRYFFINDOR SCORE AGAIN! SIXTY-NIL TO GRYFFINDOR! OI! THAT'S GOTTA BE A FOUL! YOU CAN'T _BOTH _AIM A BLUDGER TOWARDS ONE PERSON!"

"PUCEY INTERCEPTS THE QUAFFLE AND PASSES TO MONTAGUE WHO PASSES BACK TO PUCEY! PUCEY SHOOTS TOWARDS THE HOOP – AND I KNOW OUR KEEPER WILL GET THIS, HE'S REALLY GOOD – I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! HE SAVED IT! HE PASSES TO CHASE, WHO PASSES TO WOOD, WHO PASSES TO THE OTHER WOOD, WHO PASSES _BACK _TO CHASE, WHO PASSES TO WOOD AGAIN, WHO SCORES! SEVENTY-NIL TO GRYFFIND- I THINK I SPOTTED THE SNITCH!"

The guy was lying. I knew he was lying, most of the audience knew he was lying but _Smith _didn't know he was lying, so I dived down, Smith right at my tail. At the last second, I pulled up, only two feet above the ground. Smith ploughed into the ground behind me.

"MALFOY HAS PULLED THE WRONSKI FEINT, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THE GAME CONTINUES WHEN-"

But I'd stopped listening when I spotted the snitch by Smith's left ankle.

"IS MALFOY ATTACKING SMITH? HAS SHE FINALLY CRACKED? IS SHE REALLY EVIL? HAS SHE- MALFOY HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NILL! THIS GAME HAS BEEN GREAT! GOOD LUCK ON THE NEXT GAME, GRYFFINDOR!" He bellowed into the megaphone one last time.

"WE WON!" I yelled, hugging each and every one of the Quidditch members; I didn't even think about it when I hugged James tightly.

"You were great!" I said excitedly.

He looked shocked for a moment before smiling too, and saying, "You were too! You won us the game!"

* * *

"Hello, Mother, Father," I said, looking at them straight in the eye, "have you missed me this last term?"

"You ruined your hair," Mother stated in a low voice, "we _will _talk about this."

"But mother," Scorpius stated, "the look suits her very well. I daresay it would not ruin your reputation this time."

Father smiled tightly to Scorpius and nodded, "There will be no need of a _family meeting _tonight then."

A _family meeting _was code for _a beating_. I breathed a small sigh of relief and grinned at Scorpius' apparating figure.

He was a good boy.

* * *

"Scorp," I whispered, gently tapping his sleeping figure, "Scor, happy Christmas. I wanted to give you your real present now, because I _know _mother and father wouldn't approve of it. And the sweater I knitted you that's downstairs? That's approved."

I handed him a box, wrapped in a bright red with gold ribbon. I looked at him sheepishly, as if to say: that's the only colour I've got.

"Er... that's a nice... plain piece of parchment," he said awkwardly, carrying said 'plain piece of parchment' in the air.

I mock gasped. "Oh brother, dearest, this is the most important parchment of my whole _career_! I shit you not," I added when he raised an eyebrow at me, "I got it duplicated from Teddy for me, then duplicated _again _for you! Now, all you have to do is tap it with your wand and say, 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,'" I told him, demonstrating and making the map appear, "I give you—the Marauders map!"

"'The Marauders map'?" he repeated, opening the map up to find... the map of Hogwarts, "this is Hogwarts, isn't it?"

I grinned at him, "If you can learn the passages now, you get less detentions! And you're gonna go next year so I might as well give you a map, right?"

He smiled at me, and hugged me from over the mess of wrapping paper. I ruffled his hair.

"Happy Christmas, lil' bro," I said, giving him that annoying American nickname he hated.

"Let me go get your present for you," he decided, taking it out from under his mattress.

He handed it to me. It was well wrapped and very neat-looking. The wrapping paper was blue, decorated with bright orange stripes all over it, and a neat orange ribbon tied around it.

I thoughtlessly ripped open the paper, eager to find out what it was. It was a thick book that was titled: _A thousand and One Pranks to use at Hogwarts_ – _Watch your friends, enemies, pets and even professors get pranked with one simple potion or spell! _I hugged Scorp tightly and mumbled a, "thank you," into his pajamas.

"You really have to go now," Scorp murmured, checking his watch, "in an hour mother will get the house elves to wake us up for the formal Christmas openings."

I kissed his cheek, muttered, "Happy Christmas," took my new book, snuck into my room and got under the covers, pretending to sleep.

* * *

"I HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!" I heard Weasley yell, almost a week after the Christmas holidays, "I, FRED WEASLEY THE SECOND, AM THE SUPREME RULER OF THE POTATO PEOPLE!"

The whole Great Hall burst out laughing at Fred's words.

"DETENTION, MALFOY!" I heard Flitwick yell in a squeaky voice from the Professor's table.

"But _Professor_, I didn't even _do _anything!" I whined, lying completely.

"Yes you did! You made Mr. Weasley spout that non-sense!" He exclaimed.

I shrugged, "I really see no difference- FRED WEASLEY, WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

Fred Weasley threw some of his mashed potatoes into my hair. Oddly enough, the potatoes were the same colour as my wig. I threw a sausage, and it ended up falling into his shirt. Taking his squealing as an advantage, I squirted some ketchup, yet it somehow ended up hitting some fourth year Slytherin. He growled and threw some gravy at me. And somehow, this turned out to be a full on food fight.

Soon enough, my platinum blonde wig was a dark brown with gravy, my clothes were soaked with what seemed like a mixture of ketchup, mayonnaise, pumpkin juice, and lemonade... hey, was that chocolate sauce too? I ducked under the Gryffindor table and found only two other people smart enough to duck under the table, away from all the ruckus – and what do you know? They're girls!

One of them looked uncannily like Victoire Weasley, yet with softer features, and Weasley red hair. Vic was the kind of person who was uptight, strict, yet fun most times. The girl looked more fun-loving than Vicky did, and she didn't seem to have minded the prank I pulled. The other girl looked a _lot _like Fred. Seriously. They even had the same exact freckles on their faces. There were only minor differences, with only one major one. She was a _girl_. She had longer hair. She was shorter. Else than that, she was Fred Weasley himself, with the bright blue eyes, and the flaming red hair, and the pale skin too!

"Weasleys!" I yelled, finally realizing it, "you're Weasleys!"

Both of the girls chuckled. The Fred-clone said, "I'm Roxanne, and this is Dominique."

I tilted my head to the side, "Roxanne is Fred's sister and Dominique is Vicky's sister. Right?"

Roxanne nodded. "Yeah, I am _unfortunately _his twin sister. If you thought he was a nuisance before, try _living _with him!" She paused, "you can call me Roxy though."

"Call me Dom," Added Domin- Dom, "And yes you are right. Hey! You're the girl who strangled the Sorting hat! And you got Teddy and Vicky together!"

I turned a delicate shade of red that was unnoticeable from all the ketchup on my face. "Well, yeah. You don't know how bad my parents are. They'd want me in Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Hell, even Hufflepuff was better for them! But I'm glad I'm a Gryffindor, I guess."

Unexpectedly, a chicken wing came flying through my hair, and pulled my wig off. Remember how I chopped my hair off? Yeah, it was already past shoulder length by that time. Anyway, my real red hair was shown when the wig was pulled off.

"You're Artie, aren't you?" Roxy suddenly asked.

"Has James really told _everyone_?" I moaned, "But yeah, I am. And I think that James and Fred alone don't know who Artie is. I mean _seriously_! Has he told _everyone_?"

Dom snorted, "Oh yeah, and I bet soon the headline to the Daily Prophet would be _Eldest Potter's Secret Pen-pal_ or something like that!"

-The Next Day-

"What the hell!" I yelled, "_POTTER'S SECRET PEN-PAL_? DOMINIQUE WEASLEY, YOU JINXED ME!"

"You brought this upon yourself!" she exclaimed, "you _are _the one not telling James who you are! Karma really is a pain, you know."

"OI POTTER!" I yelled to him, "I'M ARTEMIS MALFOY!"

Roxy snorted, "She doesn't mean it like _that_! She meant _actually _tell him."

"OI POTTER!" I yelled again. He turned to face me. "I know who Artie is!"

James' eyes lit up excitedly, "Really? Who is it?"

I looked down at once, "Er... erm... er... she's... someone," I finished lamely. I then looked to the sky – well, the Great Hall ceiling, and murmured, "What have I done wrong?"

* * *

_Dear Jay,_

_For the three hundred and thirty fifth time, I am NOT gonna tell you who I am! PLEASE just TRY to understand! Iit's too hard for me! We're not enemies anymore, which is really good. But I don't think you could accept me yet. If you want though, I think I can arrange for us to talk. Meet me at midnight on the 14__th__ of March._

_Sorry for the dull letter,_

_Artie._

That was what I wrote to James. Since then, my nails have been bitten on more times than I can remember. Of course, Vic gave me a spell so my nails would look okay again...

Soon though, it was time to meet James Potter. But he wouldn't know who I was.

As soon as everyone in the common room was gone, I hurried to build a curtain and hid behind it. I took off my wig and settled on a comfy couch that happened to be on my side of the curtain.

I checked my watch. It blinked 00:00 to me. Upon hearing a shuffling and a small gasp from the other side of the curtain, it was safe to assume someone had entered the common room.

"Artie?" I heard James ask uncertainly.

"Behind this curtain," I found myself replying, "this way I'm more comfortable talking to you. And you can't find out who I am."

James chuckled from the other side of the curtain, "Are you seriously that paranoid?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, you're my first friend. And I've managed to make friends with three other members of your family. Not counting your god-brother."

"Teddy?" James asked, "That narrows it down a bit. Who is Teddy friendly with?"

I mentally slapped myself. I was leaving too many clues. "Tell you what," I began, "If you lay off trying to find out who I am, I'll tell you in third year. I promise that."

"On one condition," he decided after thinking it over for a while, "You have to do a prank with me." I could practically see his grin forming, even without seeing him.

"Stop grinning," I commanded, unable to keep my own grin from finding its way onto my face, "How am I supposed to do that without you finding out who I was?"

"Artemis Malfoy," James said. My heart did a double take, and I took a sharp intake of breath, "Ask Artemis Malfoy, she would know. She's a master at this stuff."

"Fat load of help _that _is," I muttered to myself, "something to cover my face or head. Something that would make it invisible maybe... Headless hats!"

"Excuse me?" James' voice was heard.

"Sorry—I just figured it out!" I exclaimed, "I can just buy a headless hat from G- Mr. Weasley! Have you heard of them, they're old and not many people use them anymore, but they're still selling."

"Hmm," James considered, "I think it might work! Although seeing you without a head may seem a bit weird..."

"Take it or leave it," I said.

"Done."

-The Next Day-

"Oh bloody _hell_, _please _tell me I'm dreaming," I heard a Hufflepuff murmur in the background.

"Oh, if you are, I think I'm having the same nightmare," I muttered back cheerfully.

The horror that surrounded us – us being the majority of Hogwarts – was neon pink. EVERYTHING was neon pink. And that was our prank.

The portraits were framed in pink, their clothes were pink, their jewelery was pink... The walls were neon pink with light pink frills everywhere, the lights were a delicate shade of pink. Seriously, EVERYTHING was pink!

"Malfoy, Potter, detention for three weeks."

"But I didn't even _do _it this time!" I whined, yet again.

"She really didn't professor, I did it with Artie," James told Professor Flitwick honestly. Well, what he _thought _was honest. But I thought Flitwick knew who Artie is. Hell, _everyone _knew who Artie is, _except _James.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter, but there is no proof she didn't do it," replied Flitwick. THANK YOU FLITWICK FOR NOT TELLING JAMES I WAS ARTIE!

"There's no proof she d-" I threw a hand over his mouth to keep him from finishing his sentence. I dragged him until Flitwick was well out of earshot before hissing, "Are you _mental_? He'll give you an extra week of detention if you said that!"

"Why do you care so much, Artemis?" James muttered, yanking my hand off of his mouth.

I sighed. "You wouldn't see it if it danced nude in your face screaming the answer. Not that it would ever do that," My face crinkled in disgust at the thought.

"What are you...?" James trailed off, making me face-palm and turn away from him.

"Boys are such _idiots _sometimes!" I murmured to myself.

* * *

"VICTOIRE WEASLEY I NEED HELP!" I yelled as loud as I can.

"Of _course _you need help," Vic replied, "and you didn't have to _yell_!"

"But _Vicky_," I whined, "exams are in _two weeks_!"

Vic gasped, "They are? Oh Merlin's saggy left Y-fronts, I forgot! I need to make a schedule to studying and-"

"I'll be on my way then..." I muttered, backing out from a study-crazy Vicky.

"OI POTTER!" I yelled, finding him across the room, "help."

James smirked at me, "You need help from _me_? What do you need?" Bighead.

"Well, I need help with studying for the exams and Vic is study crazy and Dom and Roxy are studying with some of their Ravenclaw friends," I said with a slight tone of bitter in my voice, "So, will you help me?"

"What's in it for me?" James asked slyly.

"Remember when I told you I knew who Artie is?" I asked after thinking it through, "Well, I have a hundred percent guarantee that if you helped me, she'll tell you who she is at the train ride to Hogwarts in Third year. And I'll give you a box of every flavor beans." I added the last part quickly.

James seemed to be weighing his chances when he finally said, "okay, we have a deal," and shook my hand.

You may be wondering why I was asking _James Potter_ for help for the exams. That was because he was excellent at Transfiguration, and he has a Quick Quotes Quill that he uses for Herbology and History of magic. He was already well prepared with all the good notes he had. And he was my best –er, _pen pal_, I think that it was a good thing, since I was able to bribe him.

Well, I have a fixed time as to when I should reveal myself. I was screwed.

Eh.

* * *

"Thank you _so _much, Potter," I told him, holding up my report card, "I even got an E for History of Magic and Transfiguration!"

"That's alright, Malfoy!" He replied, smiling, "you helped me with charms, you gave me an E!"

"You can call me Art-" I stopped abruptly, almost saying 'Artie', "Artemis. I consider us friends now." I smiled at him.

He smiled too, "Well, you can call me James then."

Then I did something unexpected. I hugged him. He froze for a moment, but a moment later, her finally relaxed and hugged me back.

Maybe telling him wouldn't be so bad after all.

Nah.

* * *

"Hello Mother, father, Scorp," I said cheerfully, "Are we going anywhere this holiday?"

Mother and father were standing stiffly next to ear other, as if thinking of a decision.

"Well, your father and I have a business trip to America," Mother began, "We'll be going to Alaska, Washington and New York. We are going to take Scorpius, but we can't trust you at the manor alone. So you'll be coming with us. You have a day to pack."

"Yes mother," I said solemnly, but I was secretly excited.

_America?_! I was going to America! This was going to be awesome! I could just imagine myself on a New York beach, surfing, knocking dumb jocks out of the water, getting eaten by sharks yet living somehow...

I didn't know much, but I _did _know that this wasn't going to be an uneventful summer.

**AN: Guys, you have to review. Seriously. **_**Please. **_**I don't wanna sound like I'm begging (which I AM) but I really need some feedback! I'm dying here! Only one review is NOT enough. And another thing, if you haven't already heard of it, I have another fanfic I'm writing called 'The heir of the 4 founders,' so please check it out!**


	5. NOT A CHAPTER IMPORTANT NOTE

**IMPORTANT NOTE PLEASE PLEASE READ: **

**I AM PUTTING THIS FANFIC ON HIATUS BECAUSE I AM VERY BUSY, BUT MOSTLY BECAUSE I WANT TO PUT IT UNDER MAJOR EDITING. When I get it re-edited, I will put it up again. I'm ****_really _****sorry about this...**


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